Status: Revamped. I've also decided to take a darker turn than I had intended for which people may disapprove (if I ever make it to the end). I actually haven't had anyone to bounce ideas so message me if you'd like to help. Subscribe/comment if you like it!
Shambles
Chapter 3
I don’t remember falling asleep, but I know I was trying to convince myself to unwind his arm from around me for at least an hour before I fell into my daily nightmare. I woke up around five and crept around the room, gathering my things, the whole time thinking the sooner I can get home, take a shower and get to school, the sooner this can become a memory. I couldn’t believe I’d let myself get so emotionally attached…and on the last day of the game. I picked up my phone to see missed calls from Janine along with a number of worried texts. Hoping she was up and about, I replied to one, attempting to give her a description of the area of town. I sat in the kitchen waiting for a response for five minutes before I actually started to call her and when it went to voice mail, I sent another text not to worry and that I’d get home. 5:16. I had to get home before Sam noticed I was missing; with any luck he would be called in to work early and would simply leave a note on the fridge for me. While I was on the couch strapping my heels the door to the penthouse opened and I froze. A burglar? At five in the morning? I grabbed my purse and watched the hall from my spot on the couch.
The woman clacked into the kitchen in her own four inch heels. She went straight for the stove and started to boil some water in a kettle. She pulled the tie from her hair, letting it fall loose and then pulled a pan from under the stove. Well, robbers certainly don’t make themselves breakfast or wear clicking heels. She was beautiful. When she turned to help herself in the refrigerator I bolted towards the door.
It was too bad she was fast. Extremely fast actually. She had my wrist exactly as Ian had the night before in the park, but she was rough and her nails dug into my flesh. My heart pounded as she just stared at me, clutching me way too hard. “Could I have my hand back? You’re hurting me.” She shook her head as if to get herself out of a trance and let go, “Sorry, I didn’t expect-” She looked me up and down and cleared her throat. “I guess that was why this was on the counter.” She held up an envelope that had “Maureen” and a message written on it. He must have waited until I fell asleep. Damn. As I made a snatch for it, the mystery chick pulled it away. “Are you even an adult?” I was shocked that she was scrutinizing me when she had barely seen me for a minute. Plus, with those legs she looked a bit like a hooker herself. “What kind of question is that? Just give me the envelope I’ll be on my way…you’ll never have to see me again.” Mystery chick cocked her head to the left and raised her brow. Were they related? God I hope so…the other option of wife wasn’t as comforting. I started scrutinizing her. They could be related-those beautiful green eyes could be a family trait- but she was clearly a few years older than he. She lowered the envelope and I grabbed it, turning on my heels and briskly walking towards the door.
“Aren’t you even going to count it?” Damn, she was so loud. I threw her a look and stopped with my hand on the doorknob and through my head back, sighing. “Will you shut up? I’m trying not to wake him up and my professional ass was doing a great job ‘til you came along.” She gave me a half smile and rolled his deep green eyes. “Look, I just want to make sure your Ian made good of his word.” Now it was my turn to be confused- I hadn’t picked up any dishonest vibes from Ian last night…but then he was a total stranger. I opened the envelope and pulled out six hundred dollars…certainly a few hundred more than he should have expected to pay. I was walking away with a thousand dollars in total. The mystery chick whistled. “Steep huh?” I snorted. “Your friend was just being generous.” She laughed a shrill, obnoxious laugh and took a step closer to me, I pressed back against the door. “He’s my brother, not my friend. And yeah, he tends to be. I just wanted to see your face before you walked out.” I was furious and flattered at the same time, this woman was completely wasting my time, but clearly she was protective of her brother. I looked her up and down- the only difference between her and Ian was a few facial points. She was actually gorgeous… I shook my own head to get myself out of the trance I had fallen in. I had never really looked at a woman that way before…at least not in a long time. She smelled wonderful… and that’s when I realized she was entirely too close. I shoved the money back into the envelope and pushed my hair back. “Look, I really have to go and I don’t need any distractions. I’ll see you around.” I prayed that wouldn’t be true. I turned around and headed toward the elevator.
Just as I thought I was home free I saw her standing in the doorway out of the corner of my eye, folding her arms across her body, pushing out her chest and smiling quirkily. “My name’s Cassandra, I added it and my number under my brother’s on that envelope.” With that, she closed the door. I hadn’t even taken note of what the writing on the envelope was. Obviously Ian had written me a note saying he left the money hoping I’d get it in case I tried to sneak out. He wrote that if I ever needed anything or just wanted to talk, to give him a call. His sister, Cassandra, had written under it too: just in case with her number.
I would have to make sure there was no “anything” or “in case.”
I was looking at the envelope as I walked into the elevator, and I ended up walking head first into someone’s chest. I dropped the envelope, tripping on my heels and started to fall. Somehow, he was ready for me. I opened my eyes to see I was levitating only a few inches from the ground. Looking up, I saw two big hazel eyes staring down at me. At least it wasn’t Ian. This guy was about my age, not at least six years older like Ian or thirty like Cassandra-and his hair was blonde instead of brown. “You should watch your step,” he smiled and set me upright, then stooped over to pick up the envelope, “we wouldn’t want a pretty face like yours to wind up with a crooked nose.” He handed the envelope over to me without reading it and made his way out of the elevator while I stood there speechless. As the elevator door started to close, I broke my second trance of the day and peeked out to see him heading into the same door I had come out of just minutes before.
How many people lived there exactly?
The door closed and I read the envelope again, tempted to tear it up and leave it in the wastebasket by the front door. Just as I was about to rip it into a million little pieces however, I thought again and stuffed it into my purse.
The woman clacked into the kitchen in her own four inch heels. She went straight for the stove and started to boil some water in a kettle. She pulled the tie from her hair, letting it fall loose and then pulled a pan from under the stove. Well, robbers certainly don’t make themselves breakfast or wear clicking heels. She was beautiful. When she turned to help herself in the refrigerator I bolted towards the door.
It was too bad she was fast. Extremely fast actually. She had my wrist exactly as Ian had the night before in the park, but she was rough and her nails dug into my flesh. My heart pounded as she just stared at me, clutching me way too hard. “Could I have my hand back? You’re hurting me.” She shook her head as if to get herself out of a trance and let go, “Sorry, I didn’t expect-” She looked me up and down and cleared her throat. “I guess that was why this was on the counter.” She held up an envelope that had “Maureen” and a message written on it. He must have waited until I fell asleep. Damn. As I made a snatch for it, the mystery chick pulled it away. “Are you even an adult?” I was shocked that she was scrutinizing me when she had barely seen me for a minute. Plus, with those legs she looked a bit like a hooker herself. “What kind of question is that? Just give me the envelope I’ll be on my way…you’ll never have to see me again.” Mystery chick cocked her head to the left and raised her brow. Were they related? God I hope so…the other option of wife wasn’t as comforting. I started scrutinizing her. They could be related-those beautiful green eyes could be a family trait- but she was clearly a few years older than he. She lowered the envelope and I grabbed it, turning on my heels and briskly walking towards the door.
“Aren’t you even going to count it?” Damn, she was so loud. I threw her a look and stopped with my hand on the doorknob and through my head back, sighing. “Will you shut up? I’m trying not to wake him up and my professional ass was doing a great job ‘til you came along.” She gave me a half smile and rolled his deep green eyes. “Look, I just want to make sure your Ian made good of his word.” Now it was my turn to be confused- I hadn’t picked up any dishonest vibes from Ian last night…but then he was a total stranger. I opened the envelope and pulled out six hundred dollars…certainly a few hundred more than he should have expected to pay. I was walking away with a thousand dollars in total. The mystery chick whistled. “Steep huh?” I snorted. “Your friend was just being generous.” She laughed a shrill, obnoxious laugh and took a step closer to me, I pressed back against the door. “He’s my brother, not my friend. And yeah, he tends to be. I just wanted to see your face before you walked out.” I was furious and flattered at the same time, this woman was completely wasting my time, but clearly she was protective of her brother. I looked her up and down- the only difference between her and Ian was a few facial points. She was actually gorgeous… I shook my own head to get myself out of the trance I had fallen in. I had never really looked at a woman that way before…at least not in a long time. She smelled wonderful… and that’s when I realized she was entirely too close. I shoved the money back into the envelope and pushed my hair back. “Look, I really have to go and I don’t need any distractions. I’ll see you around.” I prayed that wouldn’t be true. I turned around and headed toward the elevator.
Just as I thought I was home free I saw her standing in the doorway out of the corner of my eye, folding her arms across her body, pushing out her chest and smiling quirkily. “My name’s Cassandra, I added it and my number under my brother’s on that envelope.” With that, she closed the door. I hadn’t even taken note of what the writing on the envelope was. Obviously Ian had written me a note saying he left the money hoping I’d get it in case I tried to sneak out. He wrote that if I ever needed anything or just wanted to talk, to give him a call. His sister, Cassandra, had written under it too: just in case with her number.
I would have to make sure there was no “anything” or “in case.”
I was looking at the envelope as I walked into the elevator, and I ended up walking head first into someone’s chest. I dropped the envelope, tripping on my heels and started to fall. Somehow, he was ready for me. I opened my eyes to see I was levitating only a few inches from the ground. Looking up, I saw two big hazel eyes staring down at me. At least it wasn’t Ian. This guy was about my age, not at least six years older like Ian or thirty like Cassandra-and his hair was blonde instead of brown. “You should watch your step,” he smiled and set me upright, then stooped over to pick up the envelope, “we wouldn’t want a pretty face like yours to wind up with a crooked nose.” He handed the envelope over to me without reading it and made his way out of the elevator while I stood there speechless. As the elevator door started to close, I broke my second trance of the day and peeked out to see him heading into the same door I had come out of just minutes before.
How many people lived there exactly?
The door closed and I read the envelope again, tempted to tear it up and leave it in the wastebasket by the front door. Just as I was about to rip it into a million little pieces however, I thought again and stuffed it into my purse.